No good would come from medical split

December 23, 2005

OUR OPINION We hope that Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center's plan to build a new hospital on the north side of Mishawaka does not end up splitting the medical community as some local health officials fear. Having most local physicians on the staffs at both Saint Joseph and Memorial Hospital is a convenience, both for the physicians and their patients. Physicians are familiar with both hospitals, know each one's strengths and can visit their inpatients daily. Patients can go to the hospital of their choice and still be attended by their primary care physician. However, it appears some physicians may not relish the idea of having to drive an additional five miles to get to the new Saint Joseph campus at Edison Lakes. We believe that attitude is not in the best interests of the overall health of this community. Physicians who no longer are an active member of a hospital's staff cannot tend to a patient. In most of those instances a patient's care is turned over to an in-house doctor, referred to as a hospitalist. But there is no way a hospitalist, no matter how qualified and professional, can know a patient as intimately as a primary care physician. And there are some doctors locally who are less than impressed with such a practice. We believe physicians will want to practice at the new hospital once construction is completed in mid-2009. The new Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center will be paperless and wireless, meaning information about patients can be moved around more efficiently. We think that new physical structure, accompanied by other amenities, will be an attraction to doctors. But more than a new facility, we think patients deserve to have access to the same type of medical care they have come to expect. That includes most physicians serving on the staffs of both hospitals. It is that kind of care that has set this community apart. It should continue without interruption.